Lip rouges can, in a known manner, take two forms: stick form and the form of a soft paste. The presentation in stick form, though widely used, has a number of drawbacks: it is difficult to impart a good outline to the lips using a stick, and the heat resistance of the stick is poor, which can cause it to soften and make it unusable.
Lip rouges in the form of a soft paste are taken up with an applicator, thereby overcoming the drawbacks of lipsticks. However, hitherto, by the traditional processes of manufacture, only a small amount of waxes can be introduced into cosmetic compositions in the form of soft pastes since, with increasing amounts of waxes, the viscosity of the pastes is increased, making them difficult to take up and apply; and when large amounts of waxes are incorporated, a solid is generally obtained which is usable only in stick form.
Now, waxes play an important part in the cosmetic qualities required of a cosmetic composition, in particular of a lip rouge, especially the qualities of consistency, creaminess, staying power of the applied film and thickness of the said film; the soft pastes obtained hitherto, for example according to Patents U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,855 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,228, do not generally contain waxes, or contain an amount of less than 12%, and they are consequently perceived by the user as being too oily, too shiny and lacking in staying power.